• Tag Archives Atari 800XL

  • ANALOG Computing (November 1988)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: ANALOG Computing – November 1988



    ANALOG Computing was perhaps the best known and one of the longest running magazines for Atari 8-bit Computers. The November 1988 issue includes:

    Features

    • Atari Streamers – A quickie machine-language routine that allows you to create vertically scrolling text displays.
    • Slave II: Nimral’s Grace – The sequel to last month’s Slave Cellars of Golgoloth adventure. Who is trying to kill Shala?

      • >

    • Master Memory Map, Part IV – The memory exploration continues. Jon us on a romp through your computer’s RAM and ROM.
    • Bits ‘n’ Pieces: POPS – This month ANALOG’s electronic wizard presents a hardware project that’ll add four-channel stereo sound to your Atari computer.
    • AUTORUN.SYS Secrets – This machine-language program will help you design AUTORUN.SYS files that’ll do just about anything you want.

    Reviews

    • 3-in-1 Football
    • Panak Strikes – This time around Steve takes a look at thinking games, plus gives us complete reviews of Solar Star and Drop Zone from Microsoft.
    • Battlezone

    Columns

    • Boot Camp
    • Database DELPHI
    • Game Design Workshop
    • End User

    Departments

    • Editorial
    • Reader Comment
    • 8-Bit News
    • BASIC Editor II
    • ST Notes

    …and more!


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  • Computer Direct (May 1985)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Computer Entertainment – May 1985


    It seems like in the 1980s there were more mail order places for computers and computer parts then there are internet sites for such things today. That’s probably not really true but it just seems like today it’s best to get everything from Amazon or maybe Amazon. Or possibly Amazon. Ok, once in a while Newegg…or eBay of you are brave. This ad is from a popular (it seemed so to me at the time anyway) mail order business called Computer Direct that sold various computers and accessories.

    Computer Direct was where most of my Commodore stuff came from. While my Commodore 64c itself probably did not come from here (it was a Christmas present), my 1541-II disk drive, monitor, printer, printer interface, my first modem and even a replacement power supply for my Commodore 64 all came from Computer Direct. Their prices were good and the support was great as well. You could return anything within 15 days for any reason and they offered a 90-day replacement policy. They even provided technical support if you gave them a call. Try getting that from Amazon. At least the returns are easy.

    Computer Direct’s later ads were a very hard to miss bright yellow. However, earlier ads (or maybe it was just a limitation imposed by this particular magazine) were a little more subdued. This particular ad happens to be from the May 1985 issue of Computer Entertainment, the short-lived successor to Electronic Games. It features Atari 8-bit related items though they sold stuff for most computers available, including the Commodore 64 of course.

    I’m not sure whatever happened to Computer Direct. I know they were founded in 1979 and I found ads for them through at least 1993. This 1985 ad is one of the earliest I have run across so far. There seem to be a bunch of businesses out there today with the name “Computer Direct” but none of them appear to be related to the original. I think the Internet ultimately put a lot of these companies out of business…at least the ones that could not adapt fast enough. Anybody remember the massive phone book sized Computer Shopper?


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  • Page 6 (February/March 1983)

    Posted on by Azrael Comment

    Source: Page 6 – Issue Number 2 – February/March 1983 

    The Atari 8-bit line wasn’t terribly popular in the U.K. (though the Atari ST would be) but it still managed a few dedicated magazines there. Page 6 is one of those. It was published from December 1982 until Autumn 1998 by which time it had been renamed to New Atari User. The February/March 1983 issue includes:

    • Editorial
    • News
    • Letters
    • Four In A Row
    • Joysticks
    • GTIA – Tutorial
    • Feature Review – Astro Chase
    • Silly Circles
    • Play Your Cards
    • GTIA Text Window
    • Reviews
    • Disk Directory
    • Tiny Text
    • Getting Started
    • First Steps
    • Club Call

    …and more!


    📂This entry was posted in Atari 8-bit Computer Arcana 📎and tagged